Microstrategy v1

1) Name the different types of testing that can be done on Micro Strategy Reports? A: Depending of the type of report there can be numbers of areas it can be tested. Few of them are like:

1) Report layout (Attributes/Metrics positions) 2) Naming conventions 3) Totals & Grand Totals 4) Validate the Sql query 5) Drilling options - Simple & Advanced 6) Prompts If any 7) Prompt ordering Prompt Defaults (If any) 8) Metric Calculations 9) Drill Maps (Inc. Templates) 10) Security filters (If any) 11) Export/Print functionality 12) Formatting Properties like alignment scroll bar decimal places etc 2) How are Absolute and Standard Filters used in different scenarios? How do they differ from one another? A: Absolute and Standard Filters are used in Level Metrics (metrics which calculate at the specified attribute level rather than the default report level). While defining the level metric the target attribute at which the metric should calculate is specified along with filtering and grouping options. The filtering option is a way of specifying how the level metric interacts with the report filter. This filtering option is classified into 4 types: a. Absolute b. Standard c. Ignore d. None

Scenario: Consider a report with filter on 2 cities of a state1 and 1 city of another state2 and showing revenue for the states using a level metric. Thus the report will only show data for the 2 cities of state1 and for the 1 city of state2 but at the state level rather than city level as we are using a level metric here.

a. Absolute filtering: If we specify absolute filtering in the level metric definition than the report will show data for all the cities of state1 and state2. This means that even we have a report filter to display data only for 2 cities and 1 city of state1 and state2 this absolute setting will override this report filter in way that the report shows complete data for the two states to which the cities in the filter belong.

b. Standard filtering: In case of standard filtering the report filter interacts in the usual way with the level metric and shows data only for the elements specified in the report filter. In the above scenario the level metric will show data only for the 2 cities and 1 city and not all the cities of state1 and state2.

Microstrategy v2

3) In Microstrategy, what are Logical Views used for? A: Logical Views or logical tables are used to model a Microstrategy schema that cannot be supported with just the database structures. By using Logical views it is easier to manage SCD's , attribute form expressions from multiple tables etc. Result of logical views are not cached. - additional info 4) Explain what is the difference between a Fact and an Attribute. A: Facts: You can think of facts as numerical data which can be aggregated. The facts provide insight of how the business is performing. E.g., Sales, profit etc which are numerical and gives information about whether the business is running fine or not, are generally used as facts.

Attributes: Attributes are context which provide meaning to the numerical data (facts). In other terms they add different dimension to the data giving us complete picture of what the numerical data means. E.g., If we just say Sale is 2000 than we don't get complete information about the sale. But if we say that Sale for Year 2009 is 2000 than we know more about the sale. Similarly, Sale of Item - Book is 5000 gives meaning to the sale figure. 5). What is the primary need for maintaining the Parent-Child relationship for attributes? A: The primary need for establishing a parent child relationship is to form a hierarchy of the attribute elements. Eg: Year has a child quarter quarter has a child month. In this we can establish one-many or many to many relationships.

Eg: Year has many quarters, Quarter belongs to only one year. 6). What is the Significance of 'number of passes in a SQL? A: Fewer the passes the faster the report will run. 7). How to trim SQL in Microstrategy? (I got an error in Microstrategy Report ...I shared the SQL with my Architect...He says he has trimmed the SQL and report is now working fine... Do any of you know how trimming a SQL is done?) A): Trimming the SQL is nothing but Optimizing the SQL by using Various VLDB Settings in the MSTR. i.e. avoiding the cross join removing multiple passes.

Microstrategy v3

8) What is the difference between view filter and report filter? Report Filter: A report filter A conditions appear in the SQL used to retrieve the report result set from the database. The report filter is created as part of the report and is saved with the report definition. View Filter: View filters do not modify the SQL for the report like normal report filters do. Instead, view filters are applied to the overall result set after the SQL is executed and results are returned from the data warehouse. 9): In Microstrategy, how can you direct the sql generated to use a specific table. I know of using ApplySimple, but there are other ways too... A). I would use level metrics to force the SQL generation (remove the report level from the metric and add level on ALL the dimensions from the fact table you want to generate SQL against). By doing this you will only affect the report that is using the metric. If you start altering the logical table size you will affect all reports 10): What is the Difference b/w Microstrategy and cognos Reporting Tool? A: Microstrategy is ROLAP & Cognos is MOLAP . Microstrategy retrieves data directly from data source, whereas in Cognos it is stored in form of cubes & doesn't require database connectivity 0r Microstrategy: It is web based as well as desktop It has only one metadata repository which is centralized repository. It doesn't support any cube dataset so we can have only current data from data warehouse. Don't refresh data Cognos: It is web based only It has two meta data repository. We have to refresh the cube for getting current data. Compared to microstrategy it will be slow performance.11).What is Caching? Caching is the retention of a recently used elements, objects, or report results for the purpose of improving the query response time in the further requests. Caching enables user to retrieve results from stored files rather that executing queries against a database. There are four types of caches in MicroStrategy. 1. Element Caches : Elements of frequently browsed attributes are stored in the memory on the Intelligent Server and the MicroStrategy Desktop machine for faster retrievals. 2. Object Caches : Definition of the frequently viewed metadata objects are stored on the I-Server and the MicroStrategy Desktop machines for faster retrieval. 3. Report Caches : Results of previously executed reports are stored in the memory or disks on the I-Server machine, so that they can be retrieved quickly, rather than re-executing the request against the ware house database. 4. Document Caches : Results of the report services Document are stored in the memory or disk on the I-Server machine for faster retrieval.

Microstrategy v4

12). In Microstrategy, how can you direct the sql generated to use a specific table. I know of using ApplySimple, but there are other ways too...A). If you need to use a specific table, we need to play with the logical size of that table. Whenever MSTR frames a query it retrieves data from the table that has the least logical size and hence when you set the logical size of your table to be least compared to the other base table, MSTR will retrieve data from this specified table 13). What is the Difference b/w Microstrategy and cognos Reporting Tool A). Cognos report net is only a web-based product but microstrategy is a web-based as well as desktop based. 14). In Microstrategy, what are Logical Views used for? A). Logical Views allows application architects to create any desired view using Microstrategy, without DBA involvement. Once these Logical views are created, they are available to the report designer in a way similar to any other table. This allows developers to model attributes and facts whose expressions span multiple tables. 15). What is Smart Metric? A). The Smart Metric property of a compound metric allows you to change the default evaluation order of the metric Or Consider a compound metric with formula sum ( profit/units ) where profit and units are simple metrics. It will give the whole sum of the level. But if you want the total to be done individually..say sum(profit)/sum(units) then check in the smart metrics. Or smart metric calculates subtotals on the individual elements of the compound metric. sum(metric1/metric2). 16). static prompt in Microstrategy? A). Static prompted reports :-when report is executed and than we saved that report thanit become static with those prompt.it means when report executed again than it will not ask for the prompts which are present in it.17) What is view filter?A). Apply specific filter condition then after we can get the report data set. it is olap. view filter main use viewing purpose for customers.

Microstrategy v5

18). What are the nulls on microstrategy report and how to mask them?A). 1) If in this question we want to deal with null in MSTR report than we have some display property in report data option which we can change according to the replacement of null values.DATA>>REPORT DATA OPTION>>DISPLAY>>NULL VALUES2)if we want to deal with sql generation of report than there is an option of VLDB property according to you requirement u can deal with sql query of report.19). How to increase logical size of a table in Microstrategy? A). Go to tables in the MSTR & select the table which u want to increase the logical size dbl click on the table in the table editor at the bottom you have option Logical size there increase logical size and check preserve logical size when updating schema

18) How to do performance tuning on reports? A). Performance tuning on reports is done by the help of VLDB property in MSTR.19). Difference between standard, absolute and ignore condition in metrics? A). Standard filtering allows the report filter to affect the metric.Absolute filtering raises the report filter to the level of the target, so all subcategories in the categories included on the report are added together.Ignore filtering disregards filtering criteria based on the attribute in the target and its related attributes (both parents and children). 20). I want to get sales data for the last (suppose 10) dates dynamically using value prompt how can i do it and drag it onto report editor? A). Value prompt is used for User Selected Values which can be qualified on datatype based on date.Make a applysimple filter that calculates the start date as the sysdate - the n days (here 10) and end date as sysdate. this will give you the data related to sales of last n dates.Create a required value prompt on date attribute, and accordingly drag it in your report and save it.You can do it without using value prompt with below steps. Create a filter on day attribute qualified on ID operator > and set value to resolve dynamically today – last 10 days.In this we can just create a report filter and call simple prompt in this filter, in this filter use the between operator which can fetched the data of two dynamically give date by user .21). How to use value prompt and drag it on to report editor A). By adding the value prompt in defining metric value.

Microstrategy v6

22). How can i optimize a report in microstrategy environment? A). VLDB properties allow you to customize the SQL that Microstrategy generates, and determine how data is processed by the Analytical Engine.

Created filters, attributes, compound attributes using the attribute creation wizard.Created facts using fact creation wizard.Created prompts and custom groups and consolidation.Created test cases as a part of unit testing of the generated reports.

Developer is responsible to create the public Objects like metrics, filters, prompts, custom groups, consolidations, reports...etc.As developer can create and design and developed the report using schema objects and public objects. Every developer need to troubleshoot the report issues. Create the public objects as per customer requirements.

24) .Is that possible to Insert and Update a record in the Database through Microstrategy..?

A). I'm looking for something similar in feature as well...anyone know the answer to this?you can do so by ODBC test tool one of the component of microstrategy through which u can update delete or even alter the table specification as per your need we can do this with microstrategy office. import the report in excel , write a macro to update or delete or insert. This will work fine. i have try it..Yes IT can be achieved by using VLDB Properties of a report.Using Pre/POST SQL statements you can insert or update the data in a database.

25). In Microstrategy, how can you direct the sql generated to use a specific table? A). By changing the Logical Size of the "specific" table. After changing table size, you need to update schema.If it is required for metric to calculate from a particular table in report, you can try changing the "level" in the metrics. or by using relationship filter also can direct to a particular table based on the requirement. modifying the logical table size is a good idea, but it can affect all reports which depends on the attributes defined on the same table.In addition to above answers, you can force a fact to take data from the required table onlywe can use alias name of that table and change the logical size of that alias table dnt modifies main table and use the alias table..

26) In Microstrategy, what are Logical Views used for? A). A logical view is a view that u obtain by querying the db thru sql. these result can be stored as a table then.Logical view is just a table(logical table) but it is create in desktop by writing our own SQL as per Our requirement based on the physical tables what we import from our database. Once if it is create itacts as a physical table as other physical tables.